Agenda Item 4: Establishment of State funded Sikh schools


Aim
To seek the establishment of a network of State funded Sikh schools in locations where there is a need in terms of promoting spiritual and cultural awareness of Sikh principles.

Objectives
To advise on proposals for Sikh denominational schools in the maintained sector in various locations in the UK and to lobby the UK Government to accept a sufficient number of proposals commensurate with the Sikh faith being the third largest faith in the UK and the existence of only one Sikh denominational school compared to almost 7,000 for other faiths.

To work with local Members of Parliament, MEPs and local and central government to ensure appropriate sites are provided for Sikh Schools.

To lobby the UK Government to provide maximum financial assistance for the establishment and operation of Sikh schools.

To work with the UK Government and Local Education Authorities to remove misleading statements about the Sikh religion in school materials and further to encourage teaching of the Panjabi language in main-stream schools, with 20 or more Panjabi children present in the school.